(Minghui.org) When we talk about looking inward some practitioners say that they are unable to find their attachments or they've found so many that they feel overwhelmed. I'd like to share my understanding on this.
After many years of cultivating, each of us is improving. However, because we're at different levels of cultivation, or we've enlightened to different understandings, the degree of improvement varies. We usually only eliminate the attachments we're aware of, however the attachments that we haven't identified yet are difficult to eliminate, and so we cannot improve in those areas.
When we first started practicing, we didn't know how to examine ourselves for attachments because we were enveloped in so many human notions and attachments. Didn't some give up because they felt cultivation was too difficult? Master is responsible for our cultivation. He systematically helps us find our attachments so that we gradually detach from them and eventually eliminate them.
When we can't see certain attachments, Master uses various ways to give us hints. One way is when we find ourselves in conflicts: our hearts are affected and we become upset. Master told us to “look inward” when this happens.
I have always felt these “conflicts” and anything that upset me are hints to pay attention to certain issues or to eliminate certain attachments. I think this is “looking inward.” After all these years, whenever something goes wrong, I immediately look inward. When I examine myself to see if I've caused the issue, nothing is too hard for me to overcome. My third eye is not open and I don't have any revealing dreams. However, when I look inward I feel that my path becomes very smooth.
Even though I automatically examine myself, conflicts continue to happen. We don't look inward for the purpose of resolving conflicts, instead we examine ourselves in order to eliminate attachments. It's difficult to eliminate attachments all at once; they need to be worked on constantly.
If we fail to look inward during conflicts, our attachments may accumulate. If we haven't eliminated our attachments when they surface, when we encounter a tremendous tribulation, we may not be able to find any attachments. If we ask for Master's help, we may find them.
Cultivation is serious. Master has pointed out a shortcut for us. When caught up in conflicts, some practitioners cannot look inward because on the surface, they are not at fault. Whether or not we are at fault, we must look inward unconditionally. In cultivation, nothing is accidental, so the conflict is an opportunity to improve. If we can truly look inward, we will find the attachment. I've experienced this many times.
The more attachments we hang onto, the harder it gets to eliminate them. Something that appears trivial may not mean that the attachment behind it is small. We shouldn't wait until an issue becomes very serious to look for the attachment behind it; otherwise we may miss opportunities again and again to improve.
Some of us are well-educated, seem easy going, and are eloquent when talking about Fa principles. We may appear very tolerant when conflicts arise, but we deal with issues the way a non-practitioner would, appearing tolerant on the surface, but holding grudges in our hearts. But that's not the way a true cultivator behaves. We need to truly cultivate ourselves and find our attachments.
Based on my experience, we must look for our own attachments even during the most trivial conflicts. Looking inward should be second nature for us. If we can remember to constantly examine ourselves we won't get entangled in situations where we either fail to find any attachments or we're overwhelmed by our attachments.
This is my limited understanding. Kindly point out anything inappropriate.
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Category: Improving Oneself
